


I can't imagine

by DenisDenis



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 17:13:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20393245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenisDenis/pseuds/DenisDenis
Summary: Edelgard and Byleth share their feelings for each other. Post timeskip.





	I can't imagine

Edel had never looked so beautiful – nor so terrifying. The five years she’d spent on the battlefield on her own had hardened her, setting a premature line on her forehead and a certain coldness in her eyes. The way she took down her enemies in one swing of her powerful axe made her a force to be reckoned with – a force of nature, inescapable and deadly. Standing by her side made Byleth feel like she was in the eye of a storm, watching the death and the destruction it caused, and feeling that it was righteous. 

They had been marching for two days through the empire now, fending off groups of thieves and the odd bunch of mercenaries. Today had been an uneventful day, save for a relentless downpour of rain in the afternoon that had taken its toll on morale. As night fell and camp was set up around them, her band of Black Eagles joined together in a tent for supper. 

Being gathered here together made it almost feel like old times. Relatively carefree days at the Academy, worrying about grades and the entanglements of romance, caught up in friendly rivalry and a desire to prove themselves. More structured days as well, to the rhythm of the chiming bell that woke them up in the morning and signaled when they would go about their predictable routine. Of course, they’d all come to the Monastery with their own problems. But nothing on the scale of their current endeavor. Nothing like carrying the weight of rebellion against the Church on their shoulders. Days that did not bring them so much grief, but days less filled with purpose. 

Once they had eaten, they joked and laughed together, finding solace in the friendship they shared. Edelgard turned to Byleth, next to who she always sat. Her eyes were full of a puzzling sorrow, as if she wanted to speak out but could not, burdened by something she couldn’t put into words. 

“My teacher, would you take a walk with me?”

Byleth was starting to get used to these talks. On several occasions, Edel had sought her out, alone. She might have been the only person to share the full scope of this young Emperor’s doubts and worries, confided usually in the dead of night. So, she nodded silently, and they left together. The rest of the party took notice, but their departure didn’t break the atmosphere of comradery. 

The two women walked out to the outskirts of the encampment, towards a sheer cliff. The view opened to vast fields, cut through by the twining shape of a river that shone under the full moon. It was early spring, and although the worst of winter had passed, there was still a chill in the air. The wind picked up as they stood near the edge of the cliff, catching strands of Edelgard’s long hair and letting them flow wildly around her. The ghostly shine of the moon reflected upon her face, playing with her features, making her look both enchanting and otherworldly. Byleth felt her breath catch in her throat. She’d followed this girl while she barely knew the full implications of her decision, all because she believed in her resolve. And here she was, five years later, too aware of the recklessness of her vision, but still willing to follow her through anything. 

They could die at any moment, so of course, Byleth treasured the time she had. She took a few steps towards Edel. The new Emperor of Adrestia seemed worried.

They discussed strategies, exchanging opinions about what should be done next. Byleth’s words were always valued by Edel, whose harsh judgments were softened by the more flexible brand of reason her teacher kept in mind. After a while, Edel seemed satisfied with this discussion of business, and changed the subject to more lighthearted matters. There was the start of a romance between two of their former classmates that had everyone on camp talking. Laughing gently at the latest gossip, they sat down together in the grass and enjoyed the nighttime view of Adrestia under the shining moon. When their chatter waned into silence, Byleth noticed a look of deep sadness in Edel’s eyes. She reached out and tightly gripped her hand. They had faced so many hardships together and came out of it changed, but tonight they held hands in a wordless pact to always see each other through. 

Edel turned towards Byleth, looking startled by her affectionate gesture. Any reservations she might have had at sharing what weighed on he heart were instantly dispelled. She seemed to be blushing, and after a moment of hesitation, started talking. 

“Sometimes, I wonder if what we have is real or not. Holding you feels like trying to clasp a piece of time, both hard as a diamond and more brittle than glass. You know, my teacher, sometimes when I think about all that I want, it seems like I’d be better off wanting nothing at all. The balance is so precarious, and I feel like I could fall at any time. So why is it that when I’m with you, I can jump into this closeness without feeling threatened? Why are you so different that I can let myself just be?”  
Byleth looked at her silently, not quite knowing what to say. When the words finally came to her, they felt stuck at the edge of her lips. She too, it seemed, hesitated to share herself openly with another person. She smiled at Edelgard and rested her head gently on her shoulder. Edel pulled her close in a surprisingly warm embrace.  
“I often hate how much I’ve let you in, my teacher. There are times when I feel like you bring out a vulnerability in me, and I resent it. I hate feeling so weak, when my goals demand that I be invincible. I hate the grip that you keep on my heart, the lengths to which I’d go so that I won’t lose you again. I feel it grating against my senses, but as much as I try, I cannot imagine a world where I never let you in.”

They held each other tightly under the moonlight. Byleth wished that she could keep this moment encased in eternity. Though it seemed that the bond they shared struck fear in their hearts, a fear that it might end one day, that it might come crashing down on them much sooner than they’d ever wanted it to, Byleth knew, as did Edel, that such love coursed through them with the power of inevitability. They couldn’t imagine the world without each other, and hoped, standing together at the edge of another day of battle and bloodshed, that they could always be lucky enough to feel this way.


End file.
